Process of and apparatus for extracting sulphur from ore



Sept. 9, 1924. 1,598,355

w. P. THORNTON PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING SULPHUR FROM ORE Filed March 24, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

I72 fa? Sept, 9, @9424. 1 50.355

W. P. THORNTQN PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING SULPHUR FROM ORE Filed March 24, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. P. THORNYON PROCESS OF AN!) APPARATUS FOR EXTRACIIiNQ SULPHUR FROM ORE Filed March 24, 1919 3 Sheeta-Sheet 5 WILLIAM 1?. TEGRNTGN, OF GET-1163.430, 'ILLINOIS.

05 AND ELEIELRATU$ FOL EXITt-ACTING SULPHUR FROM DRE.

application filed March 24 153121. Serialitlo. 284,780.

Extracting Sulphur from Ore, or which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the extraction.

of sulphur from ore, and the separation of sulphur from earthy substances. Various methods have been proposed and employed for this purpose, hut the extraction of sulphur from ore and earthy substances is a more or less ciifiicult thing, and the methods heretofore employed have not, it is found, been a together satisfactory. Any process for the extraction oft sulphur, in order to have commercial value. must not only be simple and economical, but mustalso be capahle of extracting a large percentage of the sulphur from the ore and earthy substances. Some processes are fairly economical but are not eiticient or effective; While other processes are eiiective, and therefore capable of extracting a large portion of the sulphur from the ore and earthy substances, hut are not economical and are so costly that, in the long run, and for certain situations, they are not commercially practicable.

Generally stated, therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved and comparatively simple and inexpensive method or process for extracting sulphur from ore, and 'for separating sulphur from dirt or sediment or earthy substances With which it may be found, and to provide an eiiicient and fairly economical process which can be employed in the com mercial production of sulphur to better advantage than the methods heretofore used for this purpose.

It is also an object to provide novel and improv ed apparatus for use in practicing or carrying out the process in accordance with the invention, andflto provide certain details and features of construction which will tend to increase the general eiliciency and the do sirability of an apparatus of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the vention consists in matters hereinafter forth and claimed, and shown in the companying drawings, in Wl1lCl1- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying the principles of the invention.

inset ig, 2 is an enlarged front elevation the pressure chamber which forms a part said apparatus, showing the same broken away and in section to some extent, thereby to bring into View the agitator and filter which are enclosed in said chamber.

3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 in Fig. :2.

V 4 is a horizontal section on line i i in Fig. 2, showing certain portions of the filter broken away to illustrate the construction thereof,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View or" a portion or the filter. I

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing a different form oi. filter.

Fig. .7 is an enlarged side'elevation of the agitator which is enclosed in the upper compartment of the pressure chamber, showing the slant or angle of the blades thereof.

As thus illustrated, the apparatus comactor, and which can be supported at their lower ends, in any suitable manner. The upper ends of said guides are connected together by a-horizontal member 2 upon Whit." are mounted the drums S that carry the lifting cables 4:, the latter being provided with Weights 5 to counter-balance the upper section 6 or" the pressure chamber, which latter is provided with laterally projecting portions 7 Which engage the guides, and to which the lower ends of the cables are attached. Said drums 3 are operated in any suitable or desired manner, as for example by the Worm gearing 8 which is driven by the motor 9 through suitable connections.

' Said pressure chamber comprises, also, a lower section 10 which is stationary and supported in any suitable or desired manner on the guides 1, as by brackets 11. which rigidly connect the lower section 10 of the pressure chamber to said guides. The top of the upper section 6 is provided with an inlet having a hand-hole plate 12 mova'hly applied thereto in any suitable manner, so that a closure is formed for the inlet to prevent the escape ofthe pressure While the apparatus is in operation, but which can he readily removed to permit the introduction of the ore into the top of the chamber. The agitator enclosed in the chamber comprises a vertical shaft 13 which extends downwardly through a stuffing box is in the top of the chamber, and through a hearing 15 on thi cross bar 16, which latter is secured horizontally within the upper compartment of the vpressure chamber. Collars 17 may be provided above and below the bearing on said 5 shaft, to hold'the latter against up and down movement relatively to the chamber. This shaft is driven by a bevel gearing l8 suitably supported below the upper portion 5 of the frame formed by theupright guides l, and the portion of the shaft 13 above the stalling box it is squared to slide up and down in gearing, so that the upper section 6 of the chamber can be raised and lowered. A shaft 19, or any suitable means, can be employed for transmitting power to said bevel gearing" 18 to drive the agitator. Said shaft 13 is provided with laterally extending arms above the bearing 15, and with similar arms below said bearing, these arms being beveled or turned at an angle to provide them with sloping; surfaces which will raise the ore contained in the chamber, when the shaft is rotated. The cross-bar 16 is formed in a similar manner, except that its two portions are beveled or sloped in a direction opposite to that of the revolving arms 20 and 21, so that they will raise the ore or materials if the entire mass is turned or rotated to some extent by the rotation of the agitator. Upper stationary bars 22 are secured to the walls of the chamber, above the revolving; arms 20, and these arms 42 may be Ibeveled or sloped like the two pprtions oi the bar 16, wl ereby each arm 22 will also serve to raise and break up the mass of ore or materials during the operation of the agitator.

The filter which interposed between the upper and lower compartment of the pressure chamber can be 01" any suitable character, but preferably comprises a plate 23 having concentric grooves 24 therein, and provided with openings 25 through which the and melted sulphur will. escape downwardly, as hereinafter explaine It will be understood, however, that these grooves can be arranged parallel in any suitable manner. fiver this plate is placed sheet of wire cloth 26, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, 01 any suitable character, which is held down by a ring 2? which rests in the annular groove 28 formed in the plate. For example, this wire cloth may be of about ten mesh and constructed from 5 No. 17 wire, but the character of the Wire cloth can be changed or varied to suit the requirements. Over this comparatively coarse mesh screen 26 some form of straining medium is preferably provided," such as 0 fine wire gauze or cotton cloth, such as the cloth 29 shown in Fig. 5; and it has also beenztound that a layer of sand andggravel 30, as shown in Fig. 6, spread over the wire 'oth, will in some cases serve as an. effective I toting medium, the purpose bcine to perthe melted sulphur and hot we. escape downwardly through the filter, 1. ing the ore and the earthy substances in upper chamber, as will hereinafter a fully appear. Cotton cloth covered v a layer of gravel may also be employee. The filter thus constructed is held in p on the top of the lower section 1.0 or oressure chamber by the vertically disposes rod 31 which is loosely held in one side of the lower section 10, and which. extends wardly through an opening 32 in the filter plate, being threaded in this opening, and also through the guide opening 33 in lower rim portion of the section 6 of pressure chamber, whereby the section '6 slides up and down on the rod Ell. Thus 3 rod holds the filter plate down in when the upper section 6 is raised, bu removing the nut from the lower port of the threaded part of the rod and appl it to the upper portion thereof, so nut will rest on the flange of the section the filter can then be raised with the section 6, the lower portion of said rod sliding upward in the opening in the flange of the section 10, s will be plain from the ings; and, if desired, a set screw can be in sorted, as shown, to hold the rod firmly in the filter plate. A locking bolt 34 is pivoted at 35 on the lower section. 10 of the pressure chamber, and is adapted to be swung unwardly into the notch 86 formed in the lo rim portion of the upper section 6 of t e pressure chamber, and by tightening the nut 37 on the upper end of the bolt, so draw the upper section 6 downwardly, the filter plate will. be tightly clamped between the lower end of the upper section 6 and the top of the section 10, it being understood 3% that several of these bolts 34: are provided at intervals around the circumference of the pressure chamber, as shown in Fig. 1, wn by no leakage will occur when the press" within the chamber is raised to the desire point. The lower section 10 is provit e 0 its side with a removable hand-hole plate 3 of any suitable character, and the bottom of the section 10 is also provided with a 1'1," movable hand -hole plate 39, whereby a may be had to the lower compartment the pressure chamber for any desired purpose. The top of the pressure chamber is provided with an inlet pipe 40 which has a swivel joint 41 that permits the section 6 of the chamber to be moved up and down, a similar swivel joint 42 being provided at the other end of this pipe, and the joint always be indicated.

mousse blowofi' cool: 52 is applied tothe pipe 40 y to relieve the pressure in the upper cornpurtment oi the pressure chamber when such is necessary or desiruble. A cold water pipe 53 leads to the bottom of the lower section 10 of the pressure chamber, and is preterebly so placed that it is tangential, and causes e whirling motion of the water in the bottom portion of the chamber, thereby to Wash out th contents of the chamber after the operations are completed; and a steam pipe 54:, having at yelve 55 and a blow-0E 56, is connected to the upper portion of the lower section 10 of the pressure chamber. A thermometer 57 is applied to the top of the section 6, and u thermometer 58 is suitably applied to the upper portion of the section 10, so that the temperature in the upper compartment of the pressure chamber, as Well as in the lower compartment, will The pressure chamber is provided at difiercnt heights with cocks 59 for the upper section 6, and at 60 for the lower section 10, and these are used for testing the Water level and for drawing oil the liquid contents of the upper and lower compartments, when such is desirable or necessary.

With the apparatus thus constructed, the process or method of employing the same for extracting sulphur from ore is preferably as followsz-- The hand-hole plate 12 .is removed and a suitable quantity of sulphur ore is placed in the upper compartment of the pressure chamber, upon the filter, and the hole is then closed. The ore may be of any suitable character, and in practice all sizes have been used from forty mesh to lumps as large as u hazel nut, or even a little larger. Through the pipe 53 cold "water is pumped into the chamber or compartment Within the section 10 to the level indicated by the dotted line 61., so that the lower chamber is about a quarter or u third full, leaving room in the section 10 for practically All of the hot water that passes through the iilter. Then, through the pipe 40, hot water is discharged onto the ore, this water being preferably maintained at a temperature of from two hundred and fitty-six to two bun dre d and fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, or perhaps from two hundred and forty-five to two hundred and sixty-live degrees Fahrenheit, depending somewhat upon the character of the ore, so that it Will meltthe sulphur contained in the ore. Should the water he colder than this, it may be heated by the admission of steam through pipe 54. The steam passes into the lower section 10 of the pressure chamber ,end up through the screenffi and straining medium phur will not burden in coming through the 29 into the ore and Water in the upper section 6 of the pressure chamber and heats the filter and raises the temperature of the ore and WdiQi' above. Passing the steam through the straining medium also cleans do the straining medium by removing from it small particles of matter which would serve to clog it. Also, steam may be admitted through the pipe 40 to the upper compartment of the pressure chamber, also through 54, and before hot water is admitted, to preliminarily heat the interior of the chamber and to heat the ore, thereby to assist or fucilitnte the separation of the sulphur from the ore. Befor or during this steaming operation. the. cold Water may be pumped through the pipe 53 into the lower compartineut of the pressure chamber, to the proper level, as explained. The hot Water under pressure is forced through the mass or body of ore supported on the filter, thereby melting and washing out the sulphur, and the water and melted sulphur will pass down through the filtering medium, and through the openings 25 of the plate 23, and into the cold water in the compartment below. The melting point. of sulphur is two hundred and thirtynine degrees Fahrenheit, and the point of its greatest fluidity is two hundred and forty-eight. During the extracting proc- $5 ess the upper portion of the pressure chain'- bcr should be kept at a temperature sufiicient to melt the sulphur from the ore. his may vary with diiierent ores, for it has been found that two hundred and fiftysix to two hundred and fifty eight degrees Fahrenheit is sufficient. The temperature in the upper part of the chamber 10 should be kept above the melting point of sulphur, so that the sulfilter plute, and ithos also been found that two hundred and forty-five degrees Fahrenheit is suilicient for this purpose. Falling into the cold water below, the sulphur burdens into globules or lumps, and will also, to u considerable extent, be Washed and sepurutcd 'from any earthy mutter which may be washed away from the ore and passed through the filter. ASillQ water in the lower chamber is clean when the operation begins it rezulily'diolds in suspension the mud passing through the strainer with the melted sulphur and water. After the operai-ion the Water in the lower chamber is usually discolored in this Way. Of course the u uter in the lower chamber can be renewed ut'u'ill during the operation. During the process, the. agitator shaft 13 is rotated. thereby to stir the mass of ore, and While the agitator may lend to Whirl the entii'emuss of ore, this tendency is counteracted-by the stationary arms 22 and by the crossbar 16, in the manner previously explained. It the hot Water does not pass readily through the mass of ore and the filter, either steam or hot compressed air can forced through the pipe 920 into the top of the chamber,

renheit, or somewhere near this point, so

iitl

. till Ill:

that the steam or hot so: should. he kept below this temperature, and precautions-taken toprevent the mixture from stiffening to any extent that might interfere with the proper operation oi the apparatus. v

After the operation has been completed, so that practically all of the sulphur has been extracted from the ore and delivered to the chilling chamber "below the filter, the lolow-oi'f valve 51 is then opened and the contents of the upper section 6 are dis-:

charged as much as possible, the agitator being preferably operated at this time. Of course, the process is eflectivc and com.- mercial if it extracts, for example, all except about five per cent the sulphur in the ore, but even better csults than this have been obtained with this process. The water is then drawn from the section 10 by means of the cocks-60, or one of them, and the steam is allowed to escape from the upper and; lower compartments by opening the valves 52 and 56, so that the internal pressure is reduced to practically ai3m0S- pheric pressure. The hand-hole 39 is then opened, and the sulphur and earthy substances or other matter in the bottom of the section 10 are then washed out by water from the pipe 53, in a manner that will. he

readily understood. The bolts 34. are thenloosened, and the upper section 6 is raised in the manner previouslyezplained. The top of the plate 23 and the wire cloth 26 are then cleaned, preferably with a hose, and it cloth is useol as a strainer, in the manner previously explained, a clean sheet of cloth is then placed on the wire screen. The

cloth used for this purpose can be cleaned from time to time to keep it in proper con dition for use. The section 6 is then lowcred and fastened in place and the zip-- pa'ratus is ready for another operation. If gravel is used as a strainer, a fresh supply is placed on the filter, and by revolving the agitator, the lower arms 21 thereof will serve to level the layer of gravel on the filter so that the mass or body of ore may rest evenly thereon.

ln the bottom of the section 10 will he found globules of sulphur, and perhaps some earthy matter as well, depending upon ill using a filtering inedmin'ot proper charactor, only the hot water and melted sulphur will pass througl and tall into the cold water. Cloth has hecn found to he the loest strainer for this purpose, but there other things, of course, which will serve the purpose. The larger globules or lumps or sulphur are separated and saved, but any particles of sulphur which wit the dirt or earthy substances may he placed in the upper compartment of the pressure chamber, along with another hotly of ore, and thus melted to form globules or lumps. Also, a large quantity of what would he called dirty sulphur can he passed through the apparatus, in order to extract the sulphur I therefrom, in the following; manner Alter the dirt and, sulphur placed on the filter, steam can he supplied to the lower compartment, helow the to raise the temperature of the mass to about two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit or more, which will melt the sulphur. Steam caiithen he admitted to the upper section 6, through the pipe it), at a temperature o'i about two hundred sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit, and this increased pressure the upper compartment. will drive the melted sulphur downwardly throu .;h the cotton cloth and wire cloth and erlorated plate, and into the compartment elow. in this way, therefore, it the strainer or filter does not produce fairly clean sulphur in the lower compartment, whereit is chilled and agglomerated into globules, the sulphur can he allowed to accumulate and then finally cleaned by again passing it through the apparatus, and by steaming it through the filter, in the manner explained. But, as explained, it is intended to have only the water and sulphur, pass through the filter, and the real purpo e of the invention is to produce practic'aii pure sulphur in the lower compartment of the apparatus, in the manner described.

The preliminary treatment of the ore will depend somewhat upon its character, of course, but ordinarily the ore should he crushed or comminutecl, and it may he ground or pulverized if desired. There are different kinds of crushing or grinding inachines which can he used for this purpose, such, for example, as those employed for crushing coal, but anything can he used for this purpose which will reduce the ore to small lumps or granules, thereby to facilitate the action of the hot water, in melting and washing out the sulphur.

The invention involves, therefore, the use of water at some stage of the processto pro accuses duce the desired effect therein. As explained, water is used, at high temperature for examole, to melt the sulphur in the ore, and to soi'ten the earthy elements of the ore, forming mud which iseliminated at some stage of the process. Also water is used to wash the melted sulphur before it congeals. In the apparatus shown the melted sulphur will pass through substantially a foot of water store it congeals, and when the strainer or filter efficient, this affords all the washing necessaryto produce a ,commer cial product. Where the strainer is not elficient further purification ot the sulphur in some way is necessary. Again, as explained,

a filtering actipn is employed at some stage oi the process to filter the sulphur m melted condition from an area under pressure to an area of less pressure, so that pressure as well as gravity serves to force the melted sulphur from one area tothe other. Such a filtering action occurs when the sulphur is melted out ofthe ore, and also if the sulphur is remelted and steamed out of the dirt or other matter, after the chilling operation. Steam is preferably introduced directly into the relatively high pressure area, not only to furnish the necessary ressure, but also to maintain the necessary oegree of heat; and, in any event, in melting the sulphur out of the ore the relatively low pressure space or chamber or area. into which the sulphur is filtered does not, of course, ever supply any water to the said high ressure chamber, as such water is supplied irectly to the high pressure area, and necessarily does not first pass through the area into which the melted sulphur is discharged by the filtering medium. Thus, in addition to the filter-ingot the melted sulphur from the one area to the other area, by pressure and gravity, there is also the use of water at some stage of the process, or at different stages, to produce the desired effect on the materials bein treated. This means, of course, that water is supplied in suitable q entity to the apparatus, from a suitable source of water supply. ldud formed is eliminated, also, prior to the arrival of the melted sulphur in the relatively low pressure area below the filtering medium, the de gree of elimination depending'on the el cieney of the filter or strainer. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the dilierent steps in any particular order, as the essential stepsmay be used in any suitable or de- '1 order, depending upon conditions, the

ality or character of the ore, and other umstances; and will be seen, for example, that mud is not only eliminated before the melted sulphur and some water and other matter, pass into the relatively low ssure char'nber, belowithe filtering mediun'i and 29 and below the plate 23, but also that, the passing of the melted sulphur through the water until it hardens and the steam, with the process or method shown' and described, are admitted directly to the relatively high pressure area above the filtering medium, instead of being forced into this area through the filtering medium, and

whereby the filtering medium is solely for" the purpose of filtering the'melted sulphur; and while steam may be admitted to the low pressure space below the filtering medium to keep the latter hot, it. is obvious that such steam is not required to pass upwardly through the filtering medium or means, to supply the heat necessary for melting the sulphur out of the ore, inasmuclras this is doneby the steam and hot water admitted directly to the chamber in which the one mass is confined under pressure to melt the sulphur therein and to soften the mud and earthy and other like elements mixed with the sulphur in the ore. Of course, as will be readily understood, some earthy matter and small particles of insoluble matter Willbe held in suspension in the water. An readily soluble substances or elements wil be dissolved by the waiter.

Obviously, with the method shownand described, the raw ore mass and the hot water are churned about under confinement in a chamber to melt the sulphur in the ore, so that the liquid sulphur and the mud formed by the softening of the earthy matter, and the sand resulting from the agitation of the ore, or from the original breaking up of the ore, are churned out of the ore rock and into the hot water. Also, at certain times, as explained, and durin cessation of the filtering operation, the ltering medium is cleaned by passing through it steam in a direction opposite to that in which the sulphur passes through the filtering me dium from the chamber in which the melted sulphur was churned out of the ore rock into the water. This filtered sulphur drops down from the filtering medium, in the manner shown and described, or in an suitable or desired manner, and is followe by final recovery of the sulphur by itself, the object being to produce commercial sulphur from the raw sulphur bearing ore rockQ i hat I claim as my invention is 1. T he process of extracting sulphur from a mass of sulphur bearing ore, comprising the use of hot water on the entire mass in a manner to melt the sulphur in the ore mass,

and rte-soften any mud or earthy matter conwater into a mass of sulphur-bearing ore,

cluding the straining of the water and melted sulphur through a filtering medium,

thereby to separate the sulphur from the water-soaked ore mass.

18. The process of extracting sulphur from ore, by means of suitable apparatus, comprising the supplying of ore in suitable quantity to said apparatus, the use of heat and a churning action to melt the sulphur in the ore, while keeping the liquid sulphur in a state of agitation when it settles from the ore rock, transferring the sulphur at some stage of the process from an area.

under pressure to an area of less pressure, by filtering the sulphur in liquid condition from one area tothe other, supplying water in suitable quantity to said apparatus, the ore and water being introduced separately, using said water at some stage to facilitate the process, ultimately recovering the sulphur, said Water softening 'the mud or earthy matter or other similar elements of the ore, and holding them in suspension, thereby washing the sulphur free of impurities.

19. The process of extracting sulphur from ore, by means of suitable ppp'aratus, comprising the supplying of ore rnsuitable quantity tosaid apparatus, the use of heat and a churning action to melt the sulphur in the ore, while keeping the liquid sul hurin a state of agitation when it settles rom v the ore rock, transferring the sulphur at some stage" of the process from an area under pressure to an area of less pressure, by filtering the sulphur in'liquid condition from one area to the other, supplying gvater in suitable quantity to said apparatus, the, ore and water being introduced separately,

using said water at some stage to facilitate the process, and ultimately recovering the sulphur, wherein mud is produced by said 'water and eliminated prior to saidfiltering action. v

20. The process of extracting sulphur from ore, comprising the forcing of hot water into a mass of sulphunbearingore, thereby to melt out the sulphur, causing separation between the melted sulphur and the mud formed by earth or other matter washed out of the ore by owing the'melted sulphur with hot water away from ,the muddy ore mass, and' thereafter' recovering the sulphur, including the straining of the melted sulphur through a filtering medium,

thereby to separate the sulphur from the water-soaked ore mass.

21. The process of extracting sul hur from ore, comprising the washing 0 the oremass with hot Water at a temperature sufficient to melt thesulphur, so as to separate the sulphur and some other matter from the ore mass, cooling the sulphur and other matter mixed therewith, thereafter melting and filtering the sulphur out of the other matter, andfinally recovering the sul hur, comprising the separation and remove of a substantial portion of the earthy substances from the mass, by filtering the hot water and melted sulphur through a porous medium, and aWay'Yrom the mud, prior to said last melting operation.

22. The process of extracting sulphur from ore, comprising the washing at the ore mass with hot water at a temperature Suficient to melt the sulphur, so as to separate the sulphur and some other matter from the ore mass, cooling the sulphur and other matter mixed therewith, thereafter melting and filtering'the sulphur out of the other matter, and finally recovering the sulphur, comprising the supporting of the entire mass of ore and the hot water on a porous filtering medium during the said washing operation, and maintaining a greater pressure above said medium than below during the operation, so that the melted sulphur and some hot water pass by gravity from an area under pressure to an area of less pres-- sure.

23. The process of producing 00111130813" cial sulphur from raw sulphur bearing ore, comprising the. churning of the raw ore mass with a body of hot water confined in a chamber until the heat of the water has melted the sulphur out of the fragments of [the ore, causing the earthy matter to be inc softened and reduced to mud, so that the liquid sulphur and mud and sand are churned out of the ore rock into the hot water, thereafter discharging the sulphur in a condition substantially free of mud from said chamber, and finally recovering the sulphur by itself.

WILLIAM PI THORNTON.-. 

